Automatic train control



April 3, 1928.

M. SWORASKI AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL Filed Sept. 27. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NM, um

fwn/Ess.' wim/.-

atente'cl Apr. 3, 1928.

VM ]ICHAEL SWOBASKI, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVAJIIAw AUTOMATIC' TRAIN CONTROL.

Application led September 27,1926. 'SerialeNm 137,945.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple, reliable and efficient automatic train controlfwhich sha'll eliminate the personal equation ina satisfactory and safe manner. Another lobject of the invention is` to cause a caution signal to cut offv power and permit an engineV to run or drift past the signal, and, if the latter is clear, tol permit the-engineer to again put A on power, ybut if not clear, to put the. brakes on vautomatically to a dead stop so that to start again the engineer must open up both power and brake valves'.

The invention will be claimed atA the end hereof but will be first described lin connection-with the embodiment otit chosenV for illustrationin the accompanying drawingsy forming part hereof and in H.which Figurel is a diagrammatic View illustratingfeatures of the invention andv showing :1

signal interposed'between two electromagnetic track trips.

Fig. 2 Iis a side view,vpartly insection of the upper part of the structure shown inFigurel, and

Fig 3 is a diagran'nnatic and schematic View partly in `section illustrative of locomo tive equipment.

In the drawings 1 and 2 are spaced.vv elec- Lgm tromagnetic strips arranged along the lline of rwayffor example,*between the rails-3 upon Ywhichthe-steam or electrically propelled locomotive or veliicfle =travels. iAs shown Ythese electromagnetic trips are duplicates 3.a anda description of one issufcient. 14 is an open topLA housing provided-with a hinged or v1movable lid 520i generallywedge shaped outside contour. The lid 5 is normally in Y' the position shown at the Yleft in Fig.. 1, that 4o is,-closed or retracted. 6 isa solenoid interposed -betwleen the housing and lid-and adapt- `ed when energized to open or project the lid. 7 is a signal interposed between thetrips and hav-ing caution and stop provisions ..45 IThe form of the signal is not material but 'v as shown it comprises a semapore arnrS harv4 ing clear and caution and -stop indicating means represented by 9, 10and11, which may be taken to be different colored lights 5o `when exhibited at night. It is immaterial by what meansitllefsig'nal is operated. There are circuit connections between .the trips and fthe -signal Jwhcreby at caution position the trip l-von the oncoming side-is1set or Y.pro-

jectedaandatstop: position both trips-.are setor projected. .Assuming the train or locomotive "to be controlled byinovingitrom right toleft in'Fig.; 1,v the tripl is setand the signal'` iswin caution' position. YVhen the signal is turned counterfclockwise to stop. position, botlrofitheitrips 1and.2 .arevsetor projected, Vfand when tlie signal is turned clockwisezto clear position, -boththe Vtrips 1 .and 2 .are retracted. aThe signal is equipped wth 1a contact actuator12 which cooperateswith `spring opened circuit closures 13 and 14, that cooperate -fwith a contact .15 connected :by conductor 16 to one side ot .a source of current, and the circuit closer 13 :cooperates .with .another con- 70 tacty 17,'and the circuit closer 14 ycooperates with two other contacts 18iandl9. The contact 17r is connected by conductor;20. tocontact.18,.and then conductor 21 to the coil of the solenoid 6 ofthe trip 1. Thesolenoids of both the trips l,..and..2;are connected by conductors .22 landf23 to theesource. The contact 191-is connected zby conductor .24 througlr the solenoid ofthe trip 2.

Referring more particularly to kFig. 3, 25 fandi26fare .a power controlling cylinder and piston mounted onY the.' locomotive and adapted to turn olf .thelpower byv actuating .the means, l'whetherthrottle or controller,

which turn .therfpower .oniand-,OL Y. 27 is an 8 airsilmerprovided on the-"intake side of the piston 26and itis provided .Witlra power controllingl hand closedvalve28. Y29 and 3() are a brake controllingpistonand cylinder adapted .to-.apply thev brakes and having an air line 31;.prov1ifded with .2V-brake.A control hand 4closed valve .32. 33 I.are pneumatic meansresponsive to all .the trips in set po- -sition,.and itlfincludes an impulse plunger 34. adaptedfto Opern-.and leave open;the air control handvalvei38. at every impulse,v and 'to normally clearzthe brake control hand valve 32. .-Asshown this pneumatic means `includes aspring..positionedA pivotal lever 35 -suitably mounted ;upon the locomotive .or

'l or in projected position the plunger 34 does not reach the stem 41. The exact operation is that the first impulse or upward movement of 34 moves 42 and then 34 drops back. The movement of 42 shifts 26 to the left letting air pastvalve 28, opened by the upward movement of 42 and left open, and this ,air reaching 39 shifts 40 to the right, so

that at the next upward stroke of 34, 32 is opened admittingfair for the brake mechanism by way of 31. Inasmuch as at the second stroke of 34 the valve28 is already open, the movement of 42 is an idle movement.

If the signal is clear the projection l2 is clear of the circuit closers 13v and 14, so that the circuits are interruptedv and the trips are retractedy out of the path of the lever 35, so that the train control mechanism is inactive. If the signal is set at caution and if by inadvert-ence, accident and mistake the engine driver fails to observe'it, theprojection 12 has closed the circuit closer 13, as shown in Fig. 2, making circuit by way of 15, 13, 17, 20, 21, 6, 22 and 23, setting trip 1. As the train. proceeds 1 trips 35 imparting an impulse to 34 which opens 28 and leaves it open causing 26 to shut o the power. This notifies the engineer that he has run by a caution signal and permits the train to drift. If, however, the signal-had been set to stop, trips v1 and 2 would both have been set by way of 16, 15, the circuit then branching, one branch proceeding by 18, 21, 6, 22 and 23, and the other branch proceeding by 19, 24, 6 of trip 2, 22 and 23.` In case the signal had been set at stop the power would be turned od as above described, but the connector 40 would be in position at the next impulse of 34 to permit it to open and leave open the valve 32 which controls :application of the brakes, thus bringing the train to a full stop. By way of further description and not limitation, when the power goes oti the engineer may permit sufficient time to lapse for `the train'to drift by the trip 2, and'if it does that without setting the brakes, he can manually close the valve 28, which puts the automatic control out of action and operate his train in the usual way with regard to a caution signal, but if the second trip is set the brakes will be automatically applied as described and the train brought to a dead stop after which it will be necessary for the engineer to close the valves 28 and 32 manually and to then op- Lacasse crate histrain in the usual manner, having oi course ascertained from the signal that the line is clear.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modiiications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and in matters of mere form without departing from the spirit ot' the invention which is not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:

l. Automatic train control apparatus including spaced electromagnetic trips, a signal interposed between the trips and having caution and stop positions, circuit connec-v tions between said trips and signal whereby caution position the trip on the oncoming side is set and at stop position both trips are set, a power controlling piston and cylinder adapted to turn oit' the power and having an air line provided on the intake side with a power controlling hand closed valve, a. brake controlling piston and cylinder adapted to apply the brakes and having an air line provided with a brake control hand closed valve, pneumatic means responsive to all trips in set position and including an impulse plunger adapted at every impulse to open and leave open the power control hand valve and to normally clear the brake control hand valve, and pneumatic connections interposed in the outlet side of the-air line of the power controlling cylinder' and adapted to connect the impulse plunger with the brake control valve to open and leave open the latter after the power controlling cylinder has completed a stroke and shut olf the power.

In automatic train control apparatus an impulse `device responsive to signals, a power control adapted to be actuated into shut off power position by one impulse oi said device, a brake control adapted to be normally inactive in respect to said impulse device, and means arranged to receive air from the power control and responsive to the actuation of the power control into shut oill power position and adapted to connect the brake control and impulse device to permit the latter upon repetition of an impulse to actuate the brake control to brake settingposition.

3. Automatic train control apparatus comprising spaced electromagnetic track trips, a centrally positioned lever operative in two directions by the track trips, a pneumatic impulse plunger controlled by said lever, a pneumatic power control adapted to be actuated into sluit off power position by one impulse oi said plunger, a pneumatic brake control adapted to be normally inactive in respect to said plunger, and pneumatic means arranged to receive air from andcontrolled by the power means and adapted t0 connect the plunger and brake control upon tion in the order named, and a pneumatic a repetition of the impulse of the plunger. plunger controlled by said lever and adapt- 4. In automatic train control apparatus a ed to operate the power control on one 110 centrally positioned lever operative in two stroke and the brake control on a succeeding 5 directions` a pneumatic power control and a stroke.

pneumatic brake control interconnected for the passage of air and adapted for opera- MICHAEL SVVORASKI. 

